Responsum: On a Kohen Who Apostatized and then Repented

A letter of goodwill from me, Gershom ben Judah. My response to the question I was asked regarding the case of a priest who apostatized and then repented, whether or not he is fit to recite the priestly benediction and to be called first for the Torah reading.

My opinion is as follows. Even though he sinned, because he has repented, he is fit to ascend to the platform [to recite the priestly benediction]. Even though it is written: You shall sanctify him (Leviticus 21:8), which is interpreted as referring to all matters of sanctity [see, e.g., b. Mo‘ed Katan 28b], and this one, by apostatizing, has desecrated his sanctity, nevertheless, once he retracts, he regains his holiness. His sanctity does not depart from him, as it is stated:

However, the priests of the high places did not ascend to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened bread among their brethren (2 Kings 23:9), and we learned: They are like blemished priests; they receive a share [of the priestly dues] and they may eat. [m. Menaḥot 13:10]

Now, blemished priests retain a sacred status, for if they were not sacred at all, but are profaned, how could they eat and receive a share in terumah and the most holy offerings? Rather, it is clear that they have sanctity.

Thus, such priests [who, in the biblical text, served in a foreign cult—here referring to Christianity] are considered like blemished priests, and they are forbidden to have relations with a prostitute and a woman who has been profaned [see Leviticus 21:7], and they are also forbidden to become impure from the dead, just like blemished priests. This man is also fit to recite the priestly benediction, like blemished priests, who may recite the benediction despite the fact that they are blemished. The same applies to him. He may recite the priestly benediction and be called first for the Torah reading. For if you do not accept this conclusion, why does the Mishnah teach: “They are like blemished priests”? It should have taught: “They are disqualified from the priesthood.” [ . . . ]

Therefore, there is no proof from either the Bible or the Mishnah that he should be disqualified. On the contrary, there is support from the Bible and the Mishnah that he should not be disqualified, as it is written: You shall not wrong one another (Leviticus 25:17).

The verse is referring to verbal wrongdoing. How so? If he is a penitent, one may not say to him, “Remember your earlier deeds.” [b. Bava Meẓi‘a 58b]

And if you were to say that this man may not recite the priestly benediction, nor be called up first to the Torah reading, there is no greater “wrongdoing” than this. Furthermore, you would thereby be discouraging penitents, and this is an improper practice, as R. Yoḥanan said: Whoever says that Manasseh sinned has no share in the world to come, as he discourages penitents [see b. Sanhedrin 103a]. If you rule that he may not recite the priestly benediction and may not be called up first to the Torah reading, thoughts of apostasy may arise in his heart—woe to such shame! woe to such disgrace!—and he will refrain from repenting. Yet we have found that scripture established remedies so that Jews should not assimilate among the idolaters, as it is stated: And he sells himself to a stranger who is a settler with you, or to the offshoot of a stranger’s family (Leviticus 25:47), and the sages explained that an offshoot of a stranger’s family means one who was sold for idol worship itself [i.e., to work as a slave in a temple of idolatry] [b. Kiddushin 20a–20b]. And it is then written: After he was sold, he shall be redeemed (Leviticus 25:48), and the school of R. Ishmael taught: Since this person went and became a priest for idolatry, perhaps we should throw a stone after the fallen. Therefore, the verse states: He shall be redeemed; one of his brothers may redeem him (Leviticus 25:48).

Consequently, for all these reasons, the law is that even though he apostatized, once he has repented, he is now like his other priestly brethren and may recite the priestly benediction and may be called first for the Torah reading.

Gershom ben Judah